In 2018 we staged our Inaugural DULVERTON FEMALE PRODUCTION SALE believing that following 37 years of breeding we may have some Females that could offer outcross potential to existing Registered Angus herds and provide suitable options for new and establishing herds.
In 2020 we are in a position to catalogue 62 Dynamic Damsels hoping that we might attract further attention from the groups mentioned above.
As you are no doubt aware Sal and I have always been driven by our Mission which is “There is no other reason to Produce Beef than to satisfy the Eating Quality Expectations of the Beef consumer consistently and Price Competitively.”
More recently, and to ensure we promote our Mission, we have focused on the following set of Breeding Objectives, the Four Major Traits are:
- MATERNAL STAYABILITY (LONGEVITY)
This trait includes contributing factors such as:
- Structural Soundness
- Fertility
- Calving Ease
- Ability to rear productive progeny – Bulls that make the Sale Team and Heifers that breed a live and productive calf.
- FEED EFFICIENCY
Note a mechanism exists to measure Feed Efficiency during the feedlot phase. Of enormous importance is a means of measuring cow efficiency at Grass/Pasture, a must to help beef the product maintain Price Competitiveness at Retail.
- SALEABLE BEEF YIELD
Note Saleable Yield is a function of achieving optimum balance between the three tissues comprising the carcase BONE, MUSCLE & FAT – Don’t forget Butterfield’s description of the preferred carcase (one that has maximum muscle, minimum bone and optimum fat). Selecting for positive fatness is not desirable from our standpoint. The TRAIT that is needed is Do-ability which is as a general rule a function of Body Capacity, chest floor, pliable soft skin, fine hair. For further information please see our website articles.
- EATING QUALITY
Eating Quality is a function of Tenderness, Juiciness, Flavour and Overall Liking. This is where the research has us positioned currently; it is obvious that more work is needed re Overall Liking.
Tenderness is currently determined by ensuring adequate growth to provide ‘youthful’ carcases and so muscle bundles that don’t become resistant to the bite. Nutritional plane is important too.
Juiciness and Flavour; currently determined by Marbling. Fat stimulates the salivary gland during chewing to produce saliva and so keep the mouth moist – promoting Juiciness.
The contribution of Fat in determining the Unique Flavour of Beef is questionable and not fully defined, suffice to say its substantial.
Marbling is the phenomenon currently used to best describe Juiciness and Flavour. Marbling is the AMOUNT plus the FLECK SIZE and DISTRIBUTION of fat within the boundary of the L.D.
Note marbling isn’t IMF%, IMF% is simply the TOTAL AMOUNT of FAT within the confines of the L.D at the quartering site. IMF% doesn’t consider Fleck Size nor Fleck Distribution which is so important to ensure the consumer gets some Lipid with each mouthful, some not huge amounts and as importantly not NONE.
THE DRAFT
The Dynamic DULVERTON Damsel draft comprises three sections:
- 21 Maiden ‘P’ Heifers
11 of this offering are by the AI sires, 3 by Esselmont Lotto L3, 4 by Spring Cove Gentleman Jack, 3 by Boonaroo Gravity G13 and 1 by Knowla McCaw M20.
I guess you know how keen we are on Lotto, well we are just as committed to Gentleman Jack and as a female breeder with a carcase proof through the Young Benchmark program we find GRAVITY in a ‘class of his own’.
The balance is headed by Carabar Gun Smoke J134 with 3 head. Don’t miss the opportunity to inspect the following:
Lot 1 – P21 is a D. Latitude daughter with the ability to breed heifer bulls in this herd re-build phase.
Lot 9 – P135 is a Knowla McCaw M20 daughter also destined to breed heifer bulls. Both P21 and P135 are born early and are out of first calf heifers.
The P’s were AI’d to Chiltern Park Mo and GAR ASHLAND and then ‘mopped up’ by Dulverton Pins P101 (Dulverton Montjeu M13 out of Dulverton Wilcoola M4) and Dulverton Ploy P288 (D. Montjeu M13 out of D. Pixie M213).
2. THE K, L, M & N’s
The K’s have all reared 4 performance recorded calves, the L’s – 3 performance recorded calves and the M’s – 2 performance recorded calves. The K L M group are by a representation of the sires used here at Dulverton over the past six years. They include the two Boom Calving Ease sires Cluden Newry Equator F10 and Sydgen Black Pearl, along with Musgrave Big Sky, Kenny’s Creek Regent G213, Bald Blair Debonair D34, Pathfinder Galaxy G476, Dulverton Jackpot J037 (Booroomooka Frankel son), and Carabar Gun Smoke J134.
Please note that we would not attempt to sell females into Bull Breeding herds that hadn’t fulfilled our criteria of breeding a calf every year and having undergone the scrutiny for structural soundness of a third party, in this case Dick Whale.
We didn’t AI any cows this year due to the seasonal conditions, we wanted to ensure we kept the breeding cycle as tight as possible. As a result, we have used three natural joining sires with the group of K L & M’s.
The first to get a run was Dulverton Montjeu M13, in keeping with our Calving Ease for the National Herd Re-Build his progeny will have a significant part to play.
The second sire was a Spring Cove Gentleman Jack son in Dulverton Peter Pan P096, Top 15% for all 4 indexes including Top 2% Domestic Index. P096 is out of Mandy K159, the Mandy cow family is by far the most pre-potent for Maternal Longevity in the Dulverton herd. Mandy Q43 and her first daughter S124 reared 17 and 15 performance recorded calves respectively.
The third sire was another Spring Cove Gentleman Jack yearling in Dulverton Peter Pan P171, who is undoubtedly the heaviest muscled bull we have used. Both P96 and P171 have ideal slick hair and soft pliable skin. We do expect these Spring Cove Gentleman Jack Yearlings to improve marbling as distinct from IMF%. The Gentleman Jack progeny have been tested through the AGRI-BEEF supply chain, Tom Hill reports they are well above average and his (Spring Cove Gentleman Jack) marbling EPD in the USA ranks him in the Top 15%. Worth noting is that P171 is out of Anzac J29 one of our very best B. Frankel cows.
3. THE ‘N’ HEIFERS
There are 13 ‘N’ heifers in the sale.
Three of the N’s Lot 22 – N20, Lot 24 – N52 and Lot 27 – N78 are out of first calf heifers and by our proven ‘heifer bull’ sires in Dulverton Kiwi K100 and Dulverton Lohnro L16. They will make very safe calving ease prospects and they are born early.
The other sires represented are Lotto, Big Sky, Gun Smoke J134, TeMania Kilkenny K912 and Pathfinder Galaxy G476.
The N’s were bred to Chiltern Park Mo (AI), Dulverton Peter Pan P96 (BW +3.6, 600 Day +134) and the very powerfully muscled Spring Cove Gentleman Jack son D. Peter Pan P171 (EMA +8.0, NFI-F Top 2%, RBY Top 1%). Expect the progeny by these 3 sires to be super for the nominated Value Determining Traits – Maternal Longevity, NFI-F, RBY and IMF%. Importantly five of the N’s have three of the Value Determining Traits in the Top 50% and three have four.
Sal and I always have had a ‘soft spot’ for Dulverton Annie N42. She has three of the four Value Determining Traits in the Top 50%. She is structurally very sound, exhibits ideal slick hair, soft pliable skin and most importantly her heifer calf Dulverton Annie Q6 by Dulverton Montjeu M13 is phenotypically amongst the Top 3 of the entire ‘Q’ drop. We only relented to offer Annie N42 because we have such a ‘stunner’ in her place in her daughter Annie Q6.
4. THE ‘Q’ OFFERING
We are offering 12 ‘Q’ heifers. Five of them are out of first calf heifers: Q8, Q10, Q21, Q28 & Q69. Remember at Dulverton we only use ‘Heifer Bulls’, who are:
- Out of Maidens – unassisted.
- Born as early as possible in the Drop
These heifers are out of Maidens unassisted and they are all born early, two of them Q10 & Q21 are by our very special proven heifer bull sire in Dulverton Montjeu M13 – Top 30% Calving Ease Direct, Top 1% Calving Ease Daughters, Top 13% Gestation Length, Top 28% Birth Weight, Top 33% 600 Day Growth. We did think long and hard about offering Q21 because we are also selling her dam N78, believing in the end that if we want to PROMOTE BREEDING CONCEPTS, then we should back our beliefs with OUTCOMES, get these females into the Herd at Large.
We also offer Q8 and Q28, both by Knowla McCaw M20 who is Top 15% for both Calving Ease figures and Gestation Length. He is Top 35% for Birth Weight, these are our second set of calves from maidens by K. M20 and we have yet to assist one. Note we are also offering Q28’s dam N143, she too has the potential to produce further offspring with the desirable genes for Calving Ease and adequate growth.
Q69 rounds out the Five Q’s with the potential to breed you heifer bulls to provide your commercial clients in herd rebuilding mode. Q69 is by Dulverton Naskra N106, himself by a ‘heifer bull’ in Dulverton Lonhro L16 out of a Cluden Newry F10 cow in Annie L27. He is Top 40% Calving Ease Direct, Top 16% Calving Ease Daughters, Top 6% Gestation Length, Top 33% Birth Weight and Top 32% 600 Day growth. Note that we do offer Q69’s dam N95 believing she too has the potential to breed Calving Ease into her subsequent progeny.
THE LITTLE BEAUTIES
Putting a Production Female Sale together is very challenging. Dispersals attract buyers by virtue of the fact that all females are being offered. To be successful a Production Sale must include a very reasonable percentage of THE BEST the herd has to offer. We believe Lot 56 – Q60, Lot 62 – Q178 and Lot 63 – Q297 fit that bill. Q60 and Q178 are both by our Super Sire in Dulverton New Approach N208, check him out for the Value Determining Traits:
Fertility a) Days to Calving – Top 28%, b) Scrotal – Top 22%
NFI-F – Top 50%
RBY – Top 14%
IMF – Top 19%
Q60 is out of Dulverton Ticket L43 who is herself a first calf heifer’s first calf. Thus would be very happy to suggest that Q60 will be a worth while prospect to breed Heifer Bulls from. Q60 sells with 2 doses of Dulverton Montjeu M13 as a ‘Bonus Gift’ from Dulverton.
Q178 is out of Dulverton Wilcoola M25 who is again a first calf heifer’s first calf and still active in the herd. M25 is by the Proven Calving Ease bull Sydgen Black Pearl. Note Dulverton Montjeu M13, our Super Sire for Calving Ease is also by Sydgen Black Pearl. Q178’s maternal grand dam D. Wilcoola K187 (Kennys Creek Regent G213) also sells in the sale at Lot 37, she too has the ability to pass on favourable calving ease genes to your herd.
STAR LOT – LOT63 – DULVERTON QUEEN Q297
In 2018 at our Inaugural Dulverton Angus Female Production Sale we offered Dulverton Queen F023 as our Star Attraction. She was passed in and remains at Dulverton. This year we proudly offer her ‘Q’ daughter Dulverton Queen Q297 at Lot 63. Please forgive the fact that she (Q297) is born so late in the drop. Her dam was embryo transplanted in 2018 and then mated naturally with our boom sire Dulverton Medaglia M28. (C. Gunsmoke J134 x D. K204 – B. Frankel 510). Note this mating has locked in the B. Tracy T4 cow a Summitcrest Embryo selected for her potential to pass on not only on farm productive traits but also RBY and Eating Quality.
Sal didn’t want to catalogue Q297 believing her to potentially be the best breeder in the Stud – she is probably right as she isn’t very often wrong! So don’t let the opportunity to inspect her go by. We will post a Feature including a video in early February… watch the website for more details.
Note: Q297 weighed 210kg (109 days) at weaning for a daily gain of 1.93kg/day. Ratio in Group 127 (N=27).
The other ‘Q’ by D. Medaglia M28, Lot 60 – Q136 is very special herself. The Maternal Longevity in this pedigree is something to behold. Dam G145 still active has reared 2 + 5 (2 Belmont Red calves + 5 Angus calves). Maternal Grand Dam B74 reared 11; Maternal Great Grand Dam Q26 reared 13 and Maternal Great Great Grand Dam reared 14. We are most impressed with Q136’s Value Determining Traits:
Fertility – Scrotal Top 30%
NFI-F – Top 20%
RBY – Top 20%
IMF% – Top 55%
Q136 has posted very special weaning performance in her own right.
235kg at 145 days; 1.62 kg/day; Ratio 106.5 (N=27).
D. N3 and D. M28 enjoying a leisurely break by the Mighty Mann River, accompanied by the resident Dulverton ‘Seagull’. Both N5 and M28 have progeny in the Dynamic Dulverton Damsel Sale on Friday 13th March
